


Let There Be Peace on Earth

by TrinityEverett



Category: Castle
Genre: F/M, Fluffy fic, Post Series
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-23
Updated: 2020-05-23
Packaged: 2021-03-02 22:28:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,091
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24340585
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TrinityEverett/pseuds/TrinityEverett
Summary: Castle comes home from a meeting one afternoon to a little more chaos and a little less happiness than he'd been expecting. Caskett. Post-Series Fic.
Relationships: Kate Beckett/Richard Castle
Comments: 1
Kudos: 7





	Let There Be Peace on Earth

**Let There Be Peace on Earth**

* * *

"Hey, hey, I'm home. Sorry it took so long. A couple of the interns in marketing stopped me and wanted to see baby pictures. Everyone sends congratulat-ions," he trails off, grimacing at how badly he'd read the room.

A quick glance around, half an ear, and a look at his wife says everything he needs to know about the current state of affairs in the Castle household, and it's not good. Gone is the idyllic, soft, peaceful winter wonderland he'd left, what's left resembles the aftermath of a tornado.

This is very much not going according to plan. What had started out seeming like a good – no, a great idea – now seems like it will be joining many of his other exploits in the failure category unless he can help get things back on the right track. He really shouldn't have ducked out for his meeting at Black Pawn today.

"What can I do?" he asks before she decides to yell, cry, or leave him.

Beckett's shoulders drop. The blanket (one of many) she'd been in the process of picking up falls to the floor. "Get Lily dressed. Please," she adds after a beat. "She's refusing to change; says she hates her dress and hates me too."

He stares. _Lily_ said that? Their Lily? Before he can express his dismay, Kate clears her throat and purses her lips, trying her best to stiffen her upper lip as she continues,

"So good luck with that. I'll see if I can get the boys changed without it ending in tears – again."

He catches her arm before she can brush past him, drawing her closer. "Hey, hey. You are doing great."

"Yeah, so great," she snorts. "My kid hates me over a dress."

"She doesn't, Kate. You know she doesn't." His hand skims her back. "I'm sorry she said that. I'll talk to her."

Kate sniffs, banding her arms around his chest. "I bet you'd never hear something like that."

"Oh, I've heard it before," he says, resting his cheek on her head. "Any time I didn't want to let Alexis do something when she was little. It was also usually coupled with an announcement that if Meredith were there, she would go for it, so I was actually extra terrible."

Kate's breath hitches, her palms flattening against his back. "I'm sorry."

"It made me feel awful, like I was a failure as a parent. Like maybe I really wasn't doing the right thing for her. She grew out of it, but not before my mother stepped in and gave her a lecture that surprised even me. As you've seen, Mother's not exactly known for being the heavy."

His wife presses a kiss to his neck, squeezing him a little tighter.

"So, I'll talk to Lily. And once I'm done, I'll take care of getting the boys dressed. You just take a few minutes to catch your breath and then get yourself ready."

Kate shakes her head. "No, no I'll get them ready. You don't need to take it all on either, Rick. That's not what I was saying."

"Then we'll split the difference," he suggests, brushing a kiss over her forehead. "I'll take Lil and Jake, you get Reece."

Beckett exhales, nodding in acquiescence. "Yeah, okay. Okay." She lifts her chin, offering a soft, apologetic smile. "I'm sorry for snapping at you."

"Sorry for not being back sooner."

"You couldn't help it. You needed to be at that meeting, and I know how you get when someone asks for pictures of the kids."

He chuckles, conceding that. "Can you blame me?"

"No," she laughs. "I gave Lanie the same treatment the other day when they were napping and you were writing; she got about a hundred pictures in fifteen minutes. And I think she was in the middle of an autopsy at the time."

Rick sneaks a kiss before releasing her. "You're a great mom, Kate. You're a great mom every day, and you were a great mom today, no matter what happened with Lily."

Kate surges against him, wrapping an arm around his neck and drawing him down to her again. Their lips collide, warm, dry, needy, fanning embers they've been too damn exhausted over the last few weeks to even think about stoking.

"Okay," she breathes against his mouth, releasing a breath. "Okay, let's get this done so we can make the appointment, otherwise there will have been a lot of angst for nothing."

"We do not want that. Not at all."

She rubs a hand down his side as they part, nudging him toward the stairs. "Lil's in her room. As you can tell by the noise, the boys are down here. I thought I would be able to get them upstairs, but as soon as I stopped the train and took them away from the music and the twinkly lights, they started to scream. Not to mention, I swear I almost dropped Reece trying to get Jake, and I just… I gave up. I gave up."

"Hey now," he murmurs, kneeling in front of his sons. Their feet kick at his voice, but their attention remains on the white lights above their heads. He rests a palm on Jake's belly, tickling Reece's foot with the other hand. "That's not cutting your mom slack, guys. Remember, we had a deal."

Kate huffs a laugh, slipping her hands underneath Reece and lifting him to her chest. The boy fusses, releasing a pitiful bleat that has them both checking his face for true distress.

"I know, I know," Kate murmurs, dusting a kiss to their son's forehead. "But the sooner we get you dressed and go, the sooner you can come home and watch the lights."

He nods, echoing the sentiments to Jake when he lifts him and receives the same response. "It'll be fu- okay, maybe not fun. But it'll be fas-okay maybe not fast, either. It'll be okay, though," he soothes, swaying with his son. "Yeah, that's better. That's better. Now let's go get you changed, then we'll have a talk with your sister."

Kate follows him up the stairs and to the boys' room, accepting one of the outfits his mother had bought for the occasion while Rick grabs the other. They change the boys' diapers in tandem, sharing smiles across the changing table as they slip their sons into matching striped onesies, black pants, and forest green sweaters.

"There, that wasn't so bad was it?" he coos, sliding Jake into the crook of his arm. "And now you and Reece look handsome – not that you didn't before, of course – for our pictures."

"Hopefully they won't get too warm in these sweaters," Kate muses beside him, tapping Reece's belly with a finger. With one task out of the way, she looks calmer, happier, and he seizes that momentum and runs with it.

"We'll ditch them if they do." He moves closer, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "Go get yourself ready, Kate. I'll handle Lil and meet you downstairs in a few minutes."

She nods, touching his chest. "Don't forget, you need to change, too. If I'm wearing something quote unquote festive and fancy, so are you, buddy."

He grins. "Duly noted. If I do end up running behind, though, will you help me change, too?"

Beckett rolls her eyes, pushing him toward the door. "Go."

"Could be fun," he adds over his shoulder.

"Would definitely make us even later than we already are," she retorts, offering Reece an affectionate look. "Daddy thinks he's clever, Reece. He thinks he's so clever."

Rick grins down at Jake. "Daddy is pretty clever, buddy."

His son stares up at him, eyes wide.

"Yeah, you know I am. Now, let's go see your sister and see what's going on there."

Jake exhales in his arms, pretty much echoing his own feelings. "I know. It's been a hard day for everyone, especially Mommy. We'll make sure she gets a break soon."

He taps on Lily's door, waiting to see if the exaggerated stomping he heard when he got home will resume.

"Sprout, it's me," he says when he gets no response. "Can I come in?"

He waits a beat, willing to give Lily the chance to open the door for him herself, before reaching for the doorknob and nudging it open. He finds Lily sitting on her bed with her head on her knees. She doesn't even look up, doesn't acknowledge him.

"Lily," he murmurs, settling carefully on the mattress beside her. Jake kicks his feet at the new position but doesn't protest - much. "What's going on here?"

When she doesn't answer or offer any sort of explanation, he switches gears, gets right to the point.

"Let's talk about what happened earlier, Sprout."

She twists away from him, mewling softly. Whether it's in defiance or despair, he's not entirely sure and he reaches over, tapping her chin with a gentle finger.

"Lily," he says again, getting his baby girl's eyes. "I heard you weren't using your nice words earlier. You hurt Mommy's feelings. Was that kind? Would Santa like that?"

She shakes her head, her bottom lip trembling. "No. S'not nice."

"What made you so upset?" he asks, slipping his arm around her and drawing her close. She settles heavily against his side, pressing her face into his ribs. "Mommy just wanted you to start getting ready to go so we can get our picture taken."

He pokes her belly, earning a soft giggle in return. "I know you like that; you were so excited to take pictures. So, what made you so mad?"

She shrugs, pressing her face into his side.

"It's okay to have a bad day, you know," he says. "But yelling at Mommy's not the right thing to do, even when we're mad about something. It hurts her feelings. Wouldn't it hurt your feelings if Mommy or I yelled at you like that? Or if Alexis yelled like that?"

She sighs, the sound mournful even muffled in his shirt. Rick dips his head, kissing the top of her head.

"I think you owe her a big apology, Sprout. And a big hug."

Lily nods after a moment rubbing her cheek against his chest. A glance down tells him she's eyeing Jake carefully. Ah. So maybe it's not about the dress or the pictures at all, but something else entirely.

"It's hard being a big sister sometimes, isn't it?" he asks, drawing her closer. "There's a lot to get used to, having Reece and Jake here. They cry a lot, they can't play very much, they need a lot of attention and help."

His daughter nods again, reaching out to grasp Jake's foot. The baby squeaks, kicking against his sister's hand. She giggles, pushing back, gentle in deference to Rick's unspoken warning.

"But you know that – even though they need a little extra attention – it doesn't mean that Mommy and I love you any less, or that we don't want to play with you. But you're a big girl, too, and that means you know how to do more on your own; like how to wait your turn for a few minutes. And yelling because you don't like that isn't the answer, Lil."

Lily exhales. Her head dips. "Sowwy, Daddy. Don' tell Santa? Pwease?"

"I know you are, baby. And I know you didn't mean it, so we'll keep this one between us, okay?"

"'Kay."

"Okay, good. So now why don't we get changed into our pretty picture clothes and then go apologize to Mommy?"

Lily nods again but scoots closer instead of pulling away. "Daddy?"

"Yes?"

"I want my pink shoes."

Rick exhales, nodding. That's a compromise he's willing to make. The pink shoes won't match her dress, and they're not seasonally appropriate, but that's what she'll wear on her feet if that's what it takes to make her happy.

"Okay, Sprout. But you need tights. It's cold outside and your toes will get cold without them. Deal?"

She nods. "S'a deal."

He drops a kiss to her hair. "Good girl. Now, Miss Castle, I'll get your outfit ready for you while you go potty and brush your teeth."

Lily gapes. "But s'not night night time!"

"You're right," he admits. "But I heard a rumor that you and Mommy were testing out treats to decide which ones to give to Santa and his reindeer, and that means you might have some carrot in your teeth!"

His daughter giggles, shaking her head. "Not cawwot! Cookies!"

"Cookies?" he gasps. "Even more reason to give your teeth a quick brush. You don't want cookie teeth for our pictures, do you?"

Lily says no, though she still doesn't look completely convinced about making the deviation from her schedule. Rick nods. "Yeah, me either. Go on, potty, teeth, change. Jelly and I'll be here."

He breathes a sigh of relief when she goes; that's one hurdle cleared.

She runs straight to Kate once they're downstairs, pressing her face into the soft green cashmere of her mother's sweater. Kate gawks at the affection but softens almost immediately, winding her arms around Lily's thin frame, cupping the back of her head. They sway together for a moment before Kate speaks.

"Hi baby."

"Hi." Lily says, lifting her face. "M'powogizing."

Bemused, his wife meets his eyes before turning back to their daughter. "You are, huh?"

Lil nods, her face serious and solemn. "M'sowwy fo' yewwing. An' not being nice."

Kate smiles, thumbing Lily's cheek. "Thank you for apologizing. And thank you for changing clothes; you look beautiful in your dress, Little Flower. And Daddy did a good job on your hair," she praises.

Rick stands a little taller. He's always pleased to hear that he hasn't lost his touch when it comes to the skills he picked up when Alexis was little. But more importantly, he's happy to see that the unrest seems to be behind them. Even Reece is a happier camper than he was fifteen minutes ago, settled in his swing in front of the Christmas tree.

"Fanks, Mommy."

Kate exhales. "You're welcome, baby. Now, while Daddy's changing his clothes, would you help me pack PB and J's bag? And if you want, you can bring some things to entertain yourself, too. We might have to wait a little bit."

Their daughter stands up straighter, her face bright and open. "Kay, Mommy."

She squeezes Kate quickly before pulling away and running toward the corner where they stash the diaper bag for quick retrieval. With a job to do, she seems to fall back into her role as the responsible big sister, her earlier frustrations forgotten. Or tabled for the time being at the very least.

Kate exhales, turning to face him. "What'd you say? What'd she say?" she murmurs, beckoning him closer.

He joins her in the middle of the room, pressing a hand to her back as his lips skim her cheek. "We just talked it out. She's still adjusting, Kate. And she regretted it as soon as she said it. You know that."

His wife nods, resting her forehead on his shoulder. Her hand brushes Jake's belly. "I know. I know she did. I just thought we were doing okay, helping her adjust."

"We are. You are. It's just still new; it's only been a month, Kate. They're still new."

Kate's lips lift. "They are. And she's still little, too. With the mouth on her, it's easy to forget sometimes."

"Exactly what your dad said about you when you were her age," Rick murmurs, grinning at his wife's mock-outrage. She presses a kiss to his shoulder before stepping back.

"Yeah, he's probably right. Was that all you said?"

He hedges. "Well, I may have invoked the S-word – just to remind her that Santa likes when she's kind."

Kate's mouth opens and closes a few times before she nods, accepting that. "Smart. Okay, let's get this show on the road before they give our appointment away."

Rick scoffs, moving to the car seat and getting Jake settled. His son squirms, his face crinkling with annoyance at the change in position.

"I paid enough for that deposit; they better not give our spot away."

Beckett snickers behind him. He turns in time to see her shut off the swing and lift Reece to her shoulder. "Thank you, Little Flower," she praises as Lily drags the diaper bag over and takes off up the stairs to get her own things. "Go on, Rick. You still need to change."

He lowers his chin, surveying his attire. Handsome as always, but significantly less festive than the situation calls for. "Right. Are you-"

"Go," Beckett insists, swaying with Reece. "We're fine and you are not dressed. We'll be ready when you're done."

"Kay," he agrees, slipping an arm around her and towing her into his chest. "You look beautiful, by the way."

She rolls her eyes, even as her cheeks darken. "I look like a Douglas fir."

"Mmm, a sexy Douglas fir, though," he offers, grinning at her snort.

"Yeah, okay. Change, Rick. Before the boys are hungry again and I have to stop everything to nurse."

He presses a quick kiss to her mouth before he goes, pleased to see that her smile hasn't dropped even as he disappears into their bedroom.

Suffice to say, their photos don't exactly come out as he'd expected them to when he made the appointment. Lily embraces the camera for every shot, her smile winning and adorable, with just a little flair of drama they've come to expect from their daughter. The boys, however, are having none of it. Kate tries nursing them to no avail, and they refuse the bottles, too. They're not in need of new diapers or even cuddles. They're just not feeling the camera or the attention, which honestly makes the full family photo just a little funnier than it should be. One beaming toddler, two pissed off infants in tiny reindeer antler hats, and their exhausted but happy parents holding it all together for the festivities.

Kate agrees to make that their Christmas card as soon as she sees the proof.

* * *

_As you can probably guess, I started this back around Christmas time. Sadly, it didn't get finished until this week, but I had a couple of requests (thank you, Linda! Thank you, Anon!) to post it sooner rather than later. So, I hope you enjoyed this little bit of Christmas in May! Thanks for reading. Stay safe and be well, everyone!_


End file.
